The East Carolina women’s lacrosse team made history Sunday when freshman Megan Pallozzi scored 40 seconds into overtime to give the Pirates the first win in their young program’s history.
Pallozzi scored four goals and Nicole Legar added three to lift ECU to a 15-14 victory against Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs.
ECU got off to a quick start by scoring only 18 seconds into the game on a goal by Casey Sullivan and led for most of the afternoon until Gardner-Webb rallied to go ahead 14-13 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation time.
But Mackell Schultes tied the game with her second goal of the day with 50 seconds left, setting the stage for Pallozzi’s dramatic game-winner.
“This was a team win and an absolute battle until the end,” said ECU coach Amanda Barnes, whose team lost its first two games. “We showed a ton of hustle to get the ball back and win the draws down the stretch.
Goalie Abbey Smith picked up her first victory for the Pirates, making 12 saves in 63 minutes played.
“One of our big positive takeaways will be that we are capable and confident to execute and scrap for the ball when the game is on the line,” Barnes said. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons the last two games as a program and it’s positive to see us starting to apply what we’ve learned in games.”
With its first win now in the books, ECU (1-2) will attempt to post its first home victory when it returns to action Wednesday afternoon against Liberty.
